Conventional technology allows for instant one-to-one notification on a collaborative platform such as a microblog system. For example, an ‘@personname’ distribution indicator can be used to direct a one-to-one notification at a specific recipient.
Conventional technology enables collective communications based on, e.g., the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), which allows LDAP-aware client programs to ask an LDAP server to look up contact information for individuals or groups, and Public Distribution Lists (PDL) or templates supported by LDAP.